


Nightmares

by pinkamour1588



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Anal Sex, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Memories, Nervousness, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Parenthood, Post-Coital Cuddling, Protectiveness, Smut, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-18 07:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12384045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: Some memories will haunt Jim forever, even if it’s just in dreams. (And Jim meets an adorable small human).





	1. Chapter 1

Leonard laid wide awake staring up at the ceiling. Every now and then he looked over at the blond asleep next to him. He should be asleep too. He wanted to be asleep too. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get his mind to shut up. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and groaned, looking back at the ceiling. One in the morning and he had barely slept two hours before waking up again.

A whimper next to him caught his attention instantly and he looked over. Though the dark he could see Jim’s eyelids fluttering rapidly as he let out another strangled whine.

“No,” Jim breathed between whimpers.

Leonard turned over, moving closer. “Jim,” he whispered gently shaking the blond.

Jim let out a choked off noise and Leonard frowned.

“Jim, wake up. It’s just a dream,” Leonard said, desperately trying to coax him out of the nightmare.

“Bones,” Jim whimpered.

“I’m right here. I just need you to wake up.” He ran his fingers through blond bedhead. “I’m right here, sugar.”

After a few more minutes of desperate coaxing, Jim jolted awake and looked at Leonard, chest heaving.

“Bones,” he whispered.

“I’m right here. You’re ok.”

Jim shook his head. “It wasn’t me. Or just me. I…” he trailed off as tears started running down his face.

“Shhh, you don’t have to talk about it yet.”

The blond hesitated for a moment before moving closer and clinging onto Leonard, who pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything more. Jim needed silence, time to process. So, as much as Leonard wanted to get him to talk so he could help fix it, he knew better. After a few minutes, Leonard put an arm around Jim’s shoulders and turned onto his back, dragging Jim along with him so the younger man ended up sprawled halfway on top of him. It didn’t make it all that easy to breathe, but at least it wasn’t Jim’s entire body weight.

“You were on the list,” Jim said, voice barely above a whisper, his ear pressed to Leonard’s chest.

“Tarsus?” Leonard asked a little stupidly. He already knew the answer. Ever since Jim had really opened up about what happened on Tarsus IV, the nightmares had started up again for the first time in ten years.

Jim nodded.

“Was that all?” Leonard went back to carding his fingers through Jim’s bedhead.

“You weren’t originally, but something happened. Someone who was didn’t show up. When they were found, it turned out to be a kid. First kid they were going to execute. You made a fuss and yelled at them so they dragged you into the square. They had a gun to your head. Not a phaser. A gun.” Jim’s voice shook as he spoke. “They—they were about to pull the trigger when I woke up.”

“And you woke up. It was a dream. And I’m here and not going anywhere.” Leonard put his hand on Jim’s shoulder blade and rubbed gently.

Jim nodded. “Felt so real though.”

“I know. They always do.”

“Can you promise?”

“Can I promise what?”

“Can you promise that you’re not going anywhere?”

Leonard gave a sad smile. “Yeah, I can promise. I do promise.”

Jim lifted his head and looked at Leonard desperately, biting at his bottom lip.

“You’ll make your lip bleed if you keep doing that.”

“Do you really promise?”

“Jim, I promise. You do have to meet Jo first because I need her to be ok with all of this, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she’s going to love you.”

Jim nodded and laid his head back down.

“I’m serious. You might become her new favorite person, a title I, her dad, currently hold.”

“I’m cooler than you.”

Leonard laughed. “I’m pretty cool.”

“Yeah, I guess. But you’re still her dad.”

“She thinks I’m pretty cool.”

“She’s being polite.”

“Have you heard that girl speak? She’s sassy.”

Jim blinked a few times. “Did I wake you up?” he asked suddenly.

“No, I couldn’t sleep.”

Jim lifted his head. “How much sleep have you been getting?”

“Probably not enough.”

Jim frowned, sleepily studying Leonard’s face.

“It’s fine. I’m just a little nervous.”

“‘bout what?”

“You meeting Jo.”

“I have technically already met her.”

“You’ve exchanged a few words with her. You haven’t properly met her.”

“You said she’s going to love me. Was that a lie?”

“No, I’m sure she will. I’m just nervous about it. The one-percent chance that something does go wrong.” Leonard yawned.

Jim thought for a minute before sliding one hand lower.

“Put that hand any lower and you can forget about sex for a week,” Leonard said when Jim’s hand was a little over an inch from the waistband of his pants, closing his eyes.

“Like you could last that long.”

“I lasted over two years without it. I can last a week.”

“That’s ‘cause you forgot how amazing sex is. You’ve since come to your senses.”

“You know, I think I’m finally falling asleep, so if you could be so kind as to shut up.”

Jim smiled and pressed his lips briefly to the doctor’s before settling with his head on Leonard’s chest.

~

Leonard woke up five hours later with a warm weight on top of him. He peeked one eye open to see a head of blond hair and smiled. Glancing over at the clock, he sighed.

“Jim, wake up. We have a flight to catch in three hours and you need to finish packing,” he said shaking Jim.

Jim shook his head.

“You don’t get to steal my clothes the entire trip.”

“Gonna anyway,” Jim mumbled.

“Like hell you are.”

“Five more minutes.”

Leonard sighed again. “Fine, but let…” He didn’t get to finish the sentence because he earned his answer when Jim tightened his hold on him.

~

Twenty minutes later, Leonard was walking out of the bathroom after showering, a towel wrapped low around his hips. He rolled his eyes when he saw Jim eyeing him with a smirk.

“Finish packing,” Leonard said as he walked to his closet pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

“Well, you make it kinda hard,” Jim answered.

“That was terrible.”

“Who has the sexy imagination now?”

“Is that what you’re having a dirty mind calling now?” Leonard pulled on a pair of boxers and then his jeans, turning around to face Jim as he buttoned and zipped them. “Stop staring and finish packing.”

“I don’t like when you’re bossy and I’m not naked.”

“I don’t like missing my flights to see my daughter.” He gave Jim a pointed look.

Jim nodded and turned back to his duffle bag, shoving a few t-shirts into it.

~

“Do you want it or no?” Jim asked quietly as the two of them boarded the shuttle.

“Technically, no, but I think it would be for the best,” Leonard nodded and took the hypospray of antianxiety medication when Jim handed it to him. “Be right back,” he mumbled as he walked toward the bathroom. When he returned about a minute later, he was already feeling drowsy. He sat down in the seat next to Jim with a heavy sigh and put on the harness.

“Alright?” Jim asked.

Leonard just nodded and handed the hypo back to Jim who put it away. As the shuttle took off, Leonard closed his eyes and blindly found Jim’s hand, gripping it tight.

~

When they walked off the shuttle a few hours later, Leonard instantly started scanning the crowd. The moment he laid eyes on Joanna, his entire face brightened and he waved to get her attention. Jim hung back a few steps as Leonard walked closer to her.

“Daddy!” Joanna grinned as she ran to him and attacked him with a hug.

“You’ve gotten taller,” he said narrowing his eyes playfully at her as he knelt down to her level.

“I’m two inches taller,” she smiled proudly.

“Two whole inches?” he answered feigning shock.

She nodded grinning.

Leonard looked over his shoulder, confused when he didn’t see Jim standing next to him. “Jim,” he gestured the blond closer as he stood. “Jim, this is Joanna. Joanna, this is Jim,” he said as he nodded to each of them when he said their name.

“You’re Daddy’s boyfriend, aren’t you, Mr. Jim?” Joanna asked looking up at Jim.

“Yeah,” Jim nodded, “And you don’t have to call me Mr. Jim. Just Jim is fine.”

“Aunt Donna says I should always call adults mister or miss.”

“How about Uncle Jim,” Leonard suggested noticing the way Jim was fiddling with his communicator in his pocket and putting his hand on the blond’s forearm.

“I like the sound of that,” Jim smiled, still looking incredibly nervous.

“Jo, you can’t run off like that,” Donna said as she made her way over to the three of them.

“Sorry,” Joanna said.

“Just don’t do it again.”

“You know, you  _can_ stop parenting my child now that I’m here,” Leonard smiled as he hugged Donna.

“Force of habit,” she teased hugging him back, then turning to Jim. “And you must be Jim.”

“I am,” he nodded, stiffening for a moment as she hugged him before awkwardly hugging her back.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Joanna whined when Donna stepped back from Jim.

“That’s what happens when you don’t eat your breakfast,” Donna said.

“Well, how should we fix that?” Leonard said as he picked up his duffle bag.

“Food,” Joanna answered as if it were obvious.

“You might need to be more specific.”

She shrugged as the four of them walked to the car where Fred was waiting.

~

After lunch, Donna and Fred dropped Leonard, Jim, and Joanna off at the house before heading off to Fred’s parents’ house for two weeks for Christmas. That evening, Jim stood on the back porch leaning against the railing, looking out into the dark.

“What’re you thinking about?” Leonard asked as he walked out and stood next to him.

Jim turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. “Does she like me?” he asked anxiously.

Leonard stared at him like he’s grown another head. “What?”

Jim looked back down at his hands gripping the railing. “Does Joanna like me? I need her to like me.”

“Jim,” Leonard sighed putting a hand on top of one of Jim’s. “She loves you. I mean, you could definitely loosen up a bit, but she kept asking if you were going to come say goodnight to her.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Maybe. She might still be awake if you want to.”

Jim turned to him and opened his mouth to say ‘yes’, but quickly shut it and shook his head, looking away again. Leonard removed his hand from Jim’s and wrapped his arm around the blond’s shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” Leonard whispered.

“It’s different.”

“What’s different?”

“Seeing you with her. Seeing you as a dad. Seeing and hearing the two of you on phone calls was one thing. Seeing all this is, well, different.”

Leonard pulled away far enough to properly look at Jim’s face. “You’re–You’re not second guessing–”

“Oh, no, no, no.” Jim shook his head frantically. “No, absolutely not. I love seeing you with her. You’re an amazing dad, though I don’t exactly have the best example to compare to.”

Leonard thought for a minute, then said, “It’s sinking in that I’m a dad? Jo was a bit of an abstract concept before and now it’s very real.”

Jim nodded.

“That’s ok. I kind of expected that might happen.”

“Really?” Jim sounded surprised.

“You hadn’t entirely met her beyond brief moments when I’m on the phone with her, and you don’t have much experience with children. I wasn’t that surprised that you’re awkward with her.” Leonard gently turned Jim’s face to look at him. “The only thing that mattered to me with you meeting her was that you like each other, and you do.”

Jim let go of the railing and wrapped one arm around Leonard’s waist, smiling when the brunette pressed his lips to his temple. Leonard kept his lips pressed there, nose in messy blond hair.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim relaxed a lot more around Joanna over the next few days. On the fourth night, he was on top of Leonard, lips working their way along the doctor’s jaw, smiling every time Leonard shifted underneath him and let out a soft groan.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Leonard half mumbled, half groaned as Jim pushed his hips against Leonard’s.

“Not into that kind of stuff,” Jim grinned as the doctor’s hands slipped underneath the waistband of his boxers.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Am I really?”

“Yes.” Leonard started pushing Jim’s underwear down.

“You’re welcome to be in–” Jim was cut off suddenly by a knock on the door.

“Daddy,” a soft voice came from the other side of the door.

Leonard shoved Jim off and onto his back.

“Come in,” Leonard called.

The door opened slowly and a teary eyed seven-year-old walked in. Well, there went any arousal either of the two men had going.

“What’s wrong, Jo?” Leonard asked sitting up and gesturing her closer.

“Nightmare,” she mumbled.

Leonard went to get up, but before he could get to his feet or say a word, he had a hand on his forearm and Jim was saying, “C’mere.”

Leonard looked over at Jim to see he had pulled the quilt back and was gesturing for Joanna to get onto the bed. He frowned at Jim, trying to communicate his disapproval with just a look. He assumed he was successful because he was met by a very determined look in return. He let out a small sigh as he laid down and Jim pulled quilt over Joanna. She immediately curled into Leonard’s side.

“Can you tell me about it?” Leonard asked softly.

She thought for a minute then shook her head, starting to tear up again.

“I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“Jo…”

“Bones, leave it,” Jim said in a tone Leonard had never heard from him before. It was intense. Protective.

“Jim, she–”

“Leave it,” Jim hissed as he reached over and started rubbing Joanna’s back gently.

_Well, this is a new side of Jim._  Leonard thought, looking at Jim for another few moments, then looked down at Joanna and put his arm around her. She was curled up against his chest, whimpering as tears escaped her eyes, and clinging as tightly to him as she could.

“You wanna stay here, Jojo?” Jim asked brushing some of her dark hair out of her face.

“Can I, Daddy?” she looked up at Leonard hopefully.

“Yeah, just for tonight,” Leonard nodded.

~

Within half an hour, she was fast asleep again.

“I suppose I should get her back to her bed.” Leonard went to figure out how to get up and pick up Joanna without waking her up.

“No, absolutely not,” Jim said looking and sounding absolutely appalled that Leonard would even suggest doing that.

“Jim, she’s seven. She needs to sleep in her own bed,” Leonard answered carefully.

“No. She needs to sleep here.”

“Jim…”

“I will sleep in her bed if you are so insistent on someone sleeping there, but over my dead body will you make her sleep alone tonight.”

Leonard stared back at Jim, completely unsure how to respond. “Ok,” he whispered, settling more comfortably in bed.

Jim watched him hesitantly for a minute, then looked back down at Joanna.

***

When Leonard got up the next morning, Joanna was still fast asleep in the middle of the bed and Jim was actually up. He carefully got out of bed not to wake her, pulling on a pair of pajama pants, and headed downstairs to the kitchen where he could hear Jim cooking. He stopped in the doorway and smiled at the scene before him. Jim had stolen one of Leonard’s pairs of pajama pants and a t-shirt and was putting strips of bacon into a frying pan.

“Good morning!” Jim said almost overly cheerful when he saw Leonard, immediately going to work making the doctor a cup of coffee and thrusting it into his hands. “Breakfast should be ready in a bit.”

“Jim, we need to talk,” Leonard said leaning against the kitchen island.

Jim’s bright grin faded and he turned around to face the stove, needlessly poking at the bacon. “About what?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Last night. Insisting Jo sleep in our bed, even when I clearly didn’t want her to. Undermining me as her dad. She’s seven. She’s old enough to sleep in her own bed after a nightmare.”

“Bullshit,” Jim muttered.

“So, we’re going to talk about this.”

“She’s seven. She went to her dad after having a nightmare. She needed her dad and you wanted to send her off as soon as possible.”

“This isn’t about Joanna, is it?”

Jim froze, pressed his lips together, and focused on turning the bacon over in the pan.

“Jim, we’re talking about this.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Well, that’s not an option.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jim said through gritted teeth.

“Getting away with not talking about it doesn’t work.”

“Leave it.”

“No.”

Jim turned the stove off and moved the pan off. “I am not going to talk about it, so you can leave it alone.”

“You don’t get to make that choice. You undermined me last night. You can’t do that.”

“Please just leave it.”

“No, we’re talking about this.”

“Dammit, leave it alone. I’m not talking about this.”

“Jim…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Goddammit, Jim! Whether or not we talk about this really isn’t up to you. We’re adults. We talk about…”

“Daddy,” Joanna’s voice came from the doorway and Leonard and Jim froze.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Leonard smiled, though it came out a little forced.

She looked between the two of them, eyes wide.

“Did we wake you up?”

She nodded.

“Breakfast should be ready soon, ri–” Leonard turned to where Jim had been standing to find he was standing out on the porch. He hesitated for a moment, glancing between the door to the porch and Joanna standing in the doorway to the kitchen, then walked over to her, kneeling down. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“Is Uncle Jim going to leave?” she asked looking down.

“Why would you think that?”

“You two were fighting.”

“Aw, Jo. Jim and I are just upset with each other.”

“You and Mama were upset with each other before she left.”

He sat back on his heels, trying to find some way to explain it. “Do you remember how I used to work a lot before your mama left?”

She nodded.

“Your mama didn’t like it, even though I was doing my best to be around.” He let out a small sigh. “Jo, I don’t know how to explain it to you. I barely know how to explain it to me. I don’t know why all your mama left.”

“But Uncle Jim is staying?”

“Yeah.” He thought for a moment, then asked, “Can I go talk to him?”

Joanna nodded and he stood, heading outside, making sure the door closed behind him.

“I’m sorry,” Jim said, keeping his back to Leonard.

“We do need to talk about this, Jim.”

“I know.”

“Why? Why were you so insistent?”

“Because she needed you. What if she woke up again and was alone? You’re her dad. You’re supposed to protect her. But when she came to you, you wanted to send her off.”

Leonard stepped closer, moving to stand in front of Jim. “What’s this about?” he asked gently.

“No one was there for me when I had nightmares. I mean, Sam was and he would let me sleep in his bed, but then he left and Tarsus and…” Jim trailed off, picking at one of his nails. “Then you…When the nightmares…I don’t wake up alone. You were going to make her.”

“Jim, you know what her nightmares are usually about?”

Jim shook his head.

“Monsters in the closet or under the bed. They’re not like your nightmares. And I wasn’t going to make her fall asleep alone. I was going to stay with her until she fell asleep.”

Jim nodded.

“I can’t have you undermining me as her dad. I’m happy to talk about finding common ground on these things, but you can’t make decisions like her sleeping in bed with us without talking to me first. Understand?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Leonard paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around Jim tight. “Thank you.”

“For what? Apologizing?” Jim mumbled as he put his arms around Leonard in return and rested his forehead on his shoulder.

“Yes, and for caring about Jo so much. I really appreciate it.”

“She’s a kid. It’s not hard.” Jim shrugged one shoulder.

“Jim, I’ve seen you with kids on a few occasions. You’re good with them. But with Jo, god, you’re fantastic.”

“It’s really not that difficult. She’s a great kid.”

“Can I just thank you for something?”

“Yes, I was just saying that caring about her really isn’t difficult.” Jim turned his head and pressed his face into Leonard’s neck before mumbling, “She makes me think of Laila.”

“One of your kids?” Leonard put his hand on the back of the blond’s neck, rubbing his hairline lightly with his thumb.

Jim nodded stiffly.

“Did she…” Leonard couldn’t bring himself to finish the question.

“Doctors said it was sepsis,” Jim whispered, then swallowed the lump in his throat. “She was seven.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I suppose, I should go finish breakfast.” Jim went to pull away after a minute.

“I’ll do it.”

“No, you’re supposed to be spending time with Jo.”

“It’s fine. I want you to get to know her. That was part of the point of you coming.”

“I thought it was that I wasn’t going to spend Christmas alone.”

“That too, but especially since we started dating, it’s important to me that you meet her and get to know her.”

“Fine. You can finish breakfast,” Jim sighed.

“I was going to anyway. I wasn’t really giving you a choice in it.” Leonard smiled giving Jim a quick kiss before letting him go.

As the two of them walked inside, Jim pulled off his shirt and threw it at Leonard.

“What was that for?”

“Don’t cook bacon without a shirt on,” Jim shrugged as if it were obvious, then looked to Joanna and said, “Come on, Jojo,” gesturing for her to follow him into the other room. “What do you want to do while your dad finishes breakfast?”

She made a face, thinking over his question, then plopping down on the couch and patting the spot next to her.

“You’re not going to lecture me too?” he teased as he sat down.

She shook her head and pulled her knees to her chest.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” His voice softened, furrowing his eyebrows and tilting his head.

“Daddy says you’re not leaving but he said Mama wasn’t going to either,” she said in a small voice.

“I’m not leaving. Your dad’s kinda stuck with me now. He’s not getting rid of me easily if he wanted to.”

“Promise?”

Jim thought for a moment, then extended one pinky and said, “Promise.”

She smiled hooking one of her pinkies with his.

“So, what do you want to do?” he asked when she let go, dropping his hand to his lap.

“Will you play dolls with me?”

“Of course, as you wish.”

Her entire face brightened up as she jumped up, taking his hand and leading him to her bedroom. When Leonard came in to tell them breakfast was ready, he leaned against the doorframe grinning watching Jim fully immersed in playing dolls with Joanna.

“No, she doesn’t like pink,” Joanna said when Jim went to put a pair of pink shoes on the doll.

“My mistake,” Jim smiled selecting a different pair of shoes.

“Can you hand me that dress?” she asked pointing to a shiny princess dress on the floor next to him.

As Jim turned and picked up the dress, he caught Leonard’s eye. Leonard just raised an eyebrow at him, grinning.

“Breakfast is ready,” Leonard said.

In a second, Joanna was up and running to the kitchen. Jim pushed himself up off the floor and walked toward the door.

“Barbies, huh?” Leonard teased as the two of them walked downstairs.

“Oh, shut up.”

***

Three days later, Christmas Eve

“Jo, it’s time for bed,” Leonard said when the clock on the mantle chimed signaling it was eight-thirty.

“Can I please stay up?” she begged.

“You’re already getting to stay up. You were supposed to get ready half an hour ago.”

She pouted.

“Huh, she looks like you,” Jim laughed.

Leonard gave him a small glare before looking back at Joanna. “Bed. Go brush your teeth and get in your pajamas. I’ll be up in ten minutes to tuck you in.”

She let out a heavy sigh and Jim had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Can Uncle Jim tuck me in?”

“He’s sitting right there. Ask him yourself.” Leonard gestured to Jim sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

“Will you tuck me in?” she asked looking at Jim.

“Of course. I’ll be up in ten,” Jim smiled.

She got up and trudged upstairs. Ten minutes later, Jim followed after her, walking into her bedroom to see her sitting in bed waiting with a PADD on her lap.

“What’s this?” he asked as he sat down next to her.

“Daddy’s helping me read this book.”

“Go ahead then.” He nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead and read.

Every few minutes, Jim would ask something about a character or the plot or help her with a more difficult word. Of course, Jim was much easier to convince to let her read more than one chapter, so after nearly two entire chapters, it became clear she was fading.

“How about we finish the chapter tomorrow?” he suggested noticing her eyelids getting heavy.

“Fine,” she sighed letting him take the PADD and put it on her nightstand while she laid down.

“Goodnight, Jojo,” he smiled as he stood.

He made it about two steps before she spoke, “Daddy always gives me a goodnight kiss.”

Jim froze, then asked, “Do you want me to?” as he turned around.

She nodded and he walked back over to her. Jim hesitated for a split second before leaning down kissing her forehead.

“Goodnight, Jojo,” he repeated straightening up and heading toward the door.

“Goodnight, Uncle Jim,” she said sleepily as he turned the light off and closed the door most of the way.

“That took a while,” Leonard said, not even glancing up from his PADD, when Jim walked back into the living room.

“She’s very persuasive,” Jim answered sitting down next to him and Leonard put his arm around his shoulders.

“You let her read more than one chapter?”

“Maybe.”

Leonard laughed, shaking his head slowly.

“I’m very weak when it comes to hazel eyes.”

Leonard looked at him. “Are you now?”

Jim moved closer and pressed his lips to Leonard’s stubbly jaw, sliding one hand underneath the doctor’s t-shirt. “Very,” he whispered.

“I’m not going to finish reading this article, am I?” Leonard tilted his head to the side as Jim’s lips moved to his neck.

Jim pulled back. “I can stop if you want.”

Leonard set the PADD on his lap and looked at Jim. “I’m only going to say stop as long as we’re out here. I’d rather Jo not be traumatized by walking out here and seeing her dad and his boyfriend almost going at it.”

“She’s probably passed out by now.” Jim pressed his lips back to Leonard’s neck.

“And if she’s not?”

“She almost fell asleep reading. I’m sure she’s asleep by now.”

“In the off chance she’s not…”

“Ok,” Jim nodded pulling his lips from Leonard’s neck and settling his head on the brunette’s shoulder.

“Don’t say it like that,” Leonard sighed.

“Say it like what?”

“Like I just crushed all your hopes and dreams.”

“Well, you kind of did.”

“Because I won’t make out with you when my seven-year-old might walk in?”

“Because you won’t make out me.”

Leonard let out another huff, then set the PADD on the couch cushion next to him and stood. “Come on, you idiot.” He gestured for Jim to follow him.

As soon as the bedroom door closed behind Jim, Leonard was being pushed against it, probably a little too hard, and pinned in place by Jim’s hands on his hips. Jim’s mouth was on is neck in an instant.

“Shhh,” Leonard hissed, “Even if she is asleep, she’s probably still fully capable of waking up if you make too much noise.”

Jim pulled back for a moment and cocked his head, smirking, before going back to kissing Leonard’s neck. “Who says I’m the one who’s going to be making noise?”

“You’re the one who never shuts up.”

“And you’re the one who’s perfectly capable of making me shut up.” Jim slipped his hands underneath Leonard’s shirt.

“Is that an offer?”

“You’ll need to be more specific. What do you think I’m offering?” His lips brushed against Leonard’s ear before pulling back.

“You doing something very different with that pretty little mouth of yours.”

Jim grinned and pressed his lips against Leonard’s. After a few minutes, he pulled away, yanking off his shirt and Leonard took the opportunity to pull his off.

“I imagine you don’t want to do this against the door,” Jim said as he slid his hands into Leonard’s sweatpants as Leonard started kissing his shoulder.

“Bed.” Leonard blindly locked the door as Jim walked over to the bed. He followed after the blond, promptly pushing him down on the bed grinning.

“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to do something?” Jim asked as he sat up.

“I’m thinking.”

“I’m not sure if I’m excited or insulted.”

“Why would you be insulted?”

“I’d rather you be more focused on fucking me than thinking.”

“Who said anything about fucking you?”

“Well, I assumed I wouldn’t be fucking you.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” He pushed Jim onto his back and kissed him.

“Pants off and lay down,” Jim said a little breathlessly a couple minutes later.

Leonard pulled his sweatpants off and got onto the bed, getting settled before grabbing Jim’s wrist and tugging him over. The next few minutes left the two of them breathless.

“Are you planning on doing something soon?” Leonard asked feeling about five seconds from just sticking his own hand in his boxers and getting himself off.

“Is someone getting impatient?” Jim teased leaning back smirking.

“If you don’t, I’ll do it myself.”

He leaned closer to Leonard’s ear and whispered, “As much as I’d love to see that,” before moving off the brunette enough to more easily palm the bulge in Leonard’s boxers.

“I’d drag myself to the bathroom to do it,” Leonard growled.

“Have I ever mentioned how sexy you are grumpy?” Jim’s fingers traced over the waistband of Leonard’s boxers.

“Then it’s a wonder you don’t have a perpetual erection.”

“I mentally do.” He slid his hand into Leonard’s boxers and wrapped his fingers around his dick. He pressed his lips to Leonard’s shoulder, smiling when the brunette groaned. “Quiet, remember.”

Leonard glared at him as he reached down and pushed his boxers off. “I’m not the one who’s going to need reminding.” He bit back another groan as Jim started moving his hand torturously slowly.

“Do you want to fuck me tonight?” Jim asked.

“If you want me to. Have to be quiet, though, and you’re bad at being quiet.”

“If I promise to be quiet?”

“Yeah,” Leonard nodded closing his eyes, only to open them a minute later when Jim moved away from him and off the bed. “What the hell?”

Jim didn’t answer or so much as look away from the suitcase he was digging through. A minute later he was shedding his pajama pants and boxers and getting back on the bed. “You said you wanted to fuck me.” He held out the bottle of lube he had gotten from his suitcase.

“I thought I would at least get to get off first,” Leonard grumbled as he took the bottle.

“And then have to get worked up again.”

“Remind me again why I love you.”

“Because I’m a handsome charming blond with a fantastic ass.”

“Yeah, there’s truth somewhere in that statement,” Leonard snorted.

~

About an hour later

“I swear to god…” Leonard began as he unlocked the door, put the bottle of lube back in one of the duffle bags, and tossed Jim a pair of underwear. He pulled out a pair for himself, then went into the bathroom, returning with two damp washcloths a few minutes later.

“She’s asleep,” Jim said as he took the cloth Leonard gave him and cleaned himself up.

“Jim…”

“Clean yourself up and come to bed.”

Leonard sighed. A few minutes later, he was getting into bed, expecting Jim to instantly cling onto him. Instead, he had his arm tugged on until he moved close enough to Jim for the blond to wrap his arms around him tight. “This is backwards,” he said.

“Can I not hold my boyfriend after sex?” Jim asked.

Leonard lifted his head and looked at him. “I wasn’t complaining. I was just commenting. Usually you’re clinging onto me for dear life after sex.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you holding me? And don’t give me that same answer.”

Jim moved to lay on his side, keeping one arm around Leonard. “You’re upset, or worried. I figured you should get a hug.”

“Yes, I’m worried. I’m worried about traumatizing my child.”

“She’s asleep. I was as quiet as possible.”

“Yeah, you were,” Leonard sighed.

“So you don’t need to worry about it. Ever think that might be why you’re so grumpy.”

“Ever think you might be why?”

“I do make you worry a lot, don’t I?”

“Hence the frequent ‘you’re a pain in the ass’ comments.”

“I’m your pain in the ass.”

“Still not entirely sure how I feel about that.”

“You love it because you love me.”

“How that happened, I’ll never know.”

“I don’t know either.”

Leonard glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table and sighed. “We should sleep. Jo’s probably going to wake us up at six.” He managed to pull away from Jim and move to his side of the bed, settling on his side with his back to the blond.

~~~

Leonard was woken up by a row of kisses being pressed to his shoulder blade and groaned, scrunching up his nose.

“Come on, I promised Jojo that I would wake you up,” Jim urged.

“What time is it?” Leonard mumbled into his pillow.

“Time for you to get up because it’s Christmas.”

“Time.”

“Quarter till seven.”

Leonard rolled over and looked at Jim, who looked far too awake for what time it was. “You’re worse than her.”

“Come on, it’s Christmas. Get up.”

“Seven. I’ll get up at seven.” He closed his eyes again with a sigh.

“No. Christmas. Get up.”

“How are you so awake? I can barely get you up before eight most of the time.”

“Because it’s Christmas.”

“Really, how are you worse than Jo?”

“I didn’t really get Christmas,” Jim shrugged.

Leonard leaned up on his elbows. “Like understand it or you didn’t get to celebrate Christmas as a kid?”

“My mom was off planet most of the time and Frank, was, well, Frank. He wasn’t all that into having Sam and I around to begin with. Birthdays and Christmas were no different. Sam and I would exchange gifts and Mom would usually send something, but that was it.”

Leonard sighed and gave him a small smile. “Come on. It’s Christmas,” he said as he got up, pulling on a pair of pajama pants before looking back at Jim and gesturing for the blond to follow him.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://pinkamour1588.tumblr.com)


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